Paul Burris (baseball)

For the football player born Paul Burris, see Buddy Burris.
Paul Burris
Catcher
Born: (1923-07-21)July 21, 1923
Hickory, North Carolina
Died: October 3, 1999(1999-10-03) (aged 76)
Charlotte, North Carolina
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
October 2, 1948, for the Boston Braves
Last MLB appearance
June 4, 1953, for the Milwaukee Braves
MLB statistics
Batting average .219
Home runs 2
Runs batted in 24
Teams

Paul Robert Burris (July 21, 1923 – October 3, 1999) was an American professional baseball player, a catcher who appeared in 69 games in the Major Leagues for the Boston Braves/Milwaukee Braves (1948; 1950; 1952–53). Born in Hickory, North Carolina, he threw and batted right-handed and was listed as 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and 190 pounds (86 kg).

Burris broke into pro baseball in 1942 in the Brooklyn Dodgers' organization.[1] He served in the United States Army during World War II[2] and missed the 1943–45 seasons before returning to baseball. He was selected by the Braves in the December 1947 minor league draft and spent most of the remainder of his 12-year active career in the Brave organization, including two full campaigns (1952–53) on the MLB roster.

In 1952, Burris backed up regular catcher Walker Cooper and appeared in 55 games for the Braves during their final season in Boston. Although he batted only .220 with 37 hits in 168 at bats, Burris had two stellar back-to-back games. On May 30, he went two-for-two against the Dodgers' Carl Erskine, the only two safeties allowed by Erskine in a game Brooklyn won, 11–2. One of Burris's hits was his first big-league home run, a two-run shot that accounted for Boston's scoring.[3] Ironically, Erskine and Burris had been batterymates in 1947 with the Class B Danville Dodgers of the Three-I League. Burris then sat on the bench for 13 days before getting his next start on June 12 against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field. He shook off the rust by going four for five, with a double and his second big-league home run (hit off Paul LaPalme), and notched six runs batted in in a game the Braves won by an 11–2 score.[4]

Burris accompanied the Braves to Milwaukee when the franchise moved in March 1953, but he played in only two games before he sustained a season-ending broken elbow in an exhibition game in June.[5] He then played three more minor league seasons before leaving the game at age 33.

Burris's 43 big-league hits included five doubles as well as his two home runs.

References

  1. ↑ "Paul Burris". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2011-03-28.
  2. ↑ Baseball in Wartime.com
  3. ↑ 1952-5-30 (2) box score from Retrosheet
  4. ↑ 1952-6-12 box score from Retrosheet
  5. ↑ Hurd, Jay, Paul Burris. SABR Biography Project


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